


They're Still Here

by Harle_Queen



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst and Tragedy, Bittersweet Ending, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Heavy Angst, How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm Sorry, Peter Parker Deserves Better, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon, Spoilers, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 17:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18609439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harle_Queen/pseuds/Harle_Queen
Summary: SPOILERS! HUGE ASS SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!!!! Please watch the movie before reading this.He looked at the ground and lets out a small chuckle, seeing that everyone's footprints were still there, untouched. It reminds him of a moment frozen in time.





	They're Still Here

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, major Endgame spoilers follow, so be warned. Thank you for reading.

There is going to be an unveiling of the Iron Man Tribute Statue on the 26th of April, right in front of the Avengers Tower. 

Peter told his Aunt May that he'll be going there tomorrow. She stops cooking dinner to ask if he wants her to come too. He smiles and replies that he'll be fine. Either way, she walks up to Peter and hugs him tightly. He weakly hugs back. 

After school, he goes to the back alley to change into his Spider-Man outfit, but pauses before heading off. He ponders for a few moments, then decides what he's going to do. So he starts swinging to his destination. 

It's a little far away, but he should be back in time for dinner after he finishes what he wants to do. 

Around 5 in the afternoon, he finally arrives.

He carefully lands onto the leave-covered ground and puts away his suit. Luckily, there is no one around. He doesn't want to bother Mrs. Stark with his issues.

He remembers the way. It isn't that hard really.

When he looks out and sees what he was looking for, he has to turn away. He already looked at it once, but it didn't feel real to him at the time. Now, him coming to the same spot again is a painful reminder that his mentor, his father figure, really is gone.

But, he has to.

He needs to.

He looks back at the little lake and walks towards it.

He arrives at the same spot where he and his aunt stood at the private funeral. He looked at the ground and lets out a small chuckle, seeing that everyone's footprints were still there, untouched. It reminds him of a moment frozen in time.

He just wished it wasn't frozen. Because everyone walked away, but Mr. Stark didn't. He's still in the ground, underneath that little headstone stuck in the earth.

Peter stands there for a long time. He doesn't count the minutes, though.

He feels like he should say something. Because Mr. Stark was here, and Mr. Stark would liked to be talked to if he was still here.

"H-hey... Mr. Stark? I don't know whether to call you Tony or not." Peter giggles, but there is no smile.

What does he say now? What would Mr. Stark like to hear?

"Sc-school has been going well. We all pretty much accepted that everyone is back and are continuing like normal. Me and Ned and MJ, you remember her? Talked for a long time. Turns out, they were..." Peter struggles to find the right words, "Gone too, so we're all still stuck in high school, unfortunately."

Peter takes a small step forward. 

"Happy insists that he still picks me up from school everyday. But, it's weird now," Peter tries to swallow down his sobs. He can't do that, he's done it enough. "He tries to be nice to me, but I... I kind of prefer him as the grumpy guy."

Peter takes two more steps to the grave stone.

"I don't want..." Peter sniffled and tries to clear his throat, "They all, look at me. Like I've been through so much, that I'm not okay."

He really wants to sit down, but he refuses. Instead, he shuffles his feet closer. 

"I-I'm... we are-" Peter feels burning liquid on his cheeks which he struggles to wipe away, but they keep coming, "I try!"

Peter desperately wants to stop. He tries.

He doesn't even realize that he falls forward onto the ground.

"I... TRY!" He screams into the dirt. Sobbing loudly now, but doesn't even realize it, as he cries into the leaves. He repeats "I try, I try," to see if he can get his point across.

He waits until his sobs turn into whimpers before continuing.

"I try to accept..." Peter thinks through his scrambled brain on what he wants to say. He decides to stop talking for a while.

After what felt like an hour has passed, he slowly lifts his head towards the icy blue water. His eyes fall upon the slab, now a mere foot from his face. He sits up so he could read the stone.

_Anthony Edward Stark. March 15th, 1970 - April 12th, 2023. Genius, Billionaire, Father, Husband, Hero._

Peter realizes that this is the first time he has ever read the stone.

He goes over the words in his head, and find that they fit Mr. Stark perfectly.

The teen barely registers what comes out of his mouth next, "Your's looks like my Uncle Ben's."

He stops, like he's surprised at what he just said. And in a way, he is.

"I think I told you about him." He whispers. "He actually liked you, you know. Understood how important you were. To me."

A faint smile appears on Peter's face. The first genuine one in two weeks.

So Peter continues talking. About school, about Aunt May, about the Avengers and what they're doing (Sam Wilson let him know what happened to Captain America and Thor).

Soon, Peter goes back to blabbering about whatever, like how he usually rambled in Mr. Stark's lab whenever they upgraded his suit.

It's nice now. He still feels the pain, knowing that he is talking to no one.

But, in a way, he doesn't think he is.

Peter stops his rambling to take a breath, and he realizes that the sun is setting, meaning that it is almost dinner time.

He starts standing up, until he hears a little voice behind him.

"Mommy told me that you can come inside for dinner."

He turns around to see little Morgan smiling at him. They have met a couple of times, and she had took an instant liking to him.

"Well, tell your Mommy that it's fine. I was just heading home anyways." He finally gets up on his feet, stretching his aching legs.

Morgan runs over to him and hugs him. He is caught by surprise by this, but picks her up and hugs her back.

They stand quietly for a little bit, staring out onto the lake, until Morgan yawns.

"Uh oh, I think someone's tired." Peter smirks and starts walking her back.

"Daddy would say that I should go to bed at the time I'm supposed to, or he would take away my toys." She whispers into his shirt.

Peter stops walking for a second.

Usually, he would tense up whenever he heard someone mention Mr. Stark. But now, he doesn't mind it so much.

"That sounds like something he would say," he smiles at her, seeing her toothy grin back at him.

He take a moment to look at her face. She definitely has his eyes and hair, but that smile, that small smile that Mr. Stark only uses for the people he cares about. It makes his heart warm.

"I'm sorry." He says to her and to himself.

"It's okay." She replies happily, somehow knowing what Peter was apologizing for, "My Daddy said that he'll always be here at the lake so he could watch me."

Peter doesn't reply, but feels another tear slip down his face. He doesn't wipe it away, because he knows that it is a tear of not joy... but remembrance.

He hears the front door open and Mrs. Stark steps outside. She smiles at the two and silently takes an almost asleep Morgan from him. He waves quietly back, and she nods her head in reply as she enters back into the house.

Peter turns around and looks at the lake one more time before heading back.

He could see the faint glow of the slab in the moonlight as he walks away.

He could even see the footprints there too, still there.

Like Mr. Stark is keeping them there, as a final memory of his friends and comrades all standing together.

Sure, they walked away and Mr. Stark didn't.

But the teen realizes at that moment that Mr. Stark didn't want to. Because his job is done.

Peter touches the stone, fingertips brushing over  _hero_ , and walks away.

He had did what he wanted to do. Both of the men did.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thank you for reading this short, rushed fanfic. Also, apologizes for the little spoiler hiccup, but now I'll make sure if I mention anything big like this, I'll put a HUGE warning in!!


End file.
